Creatures of the Moon
by Radiant Resonance
Summary: With an impending mass of Xehanorts each in different forms over the horizon, Sora and his friends must prepare for what is to come. With Sora, Kairi and Lea both having to earn their Mark of Mastery, Riku and King Mickey are sent to gather more information about the mysteries of Kingdom Hearts. This path leads Riku to people called Lycans...
1. Chapter 1

With an impending mass of Xehenorts over the horizon, Sora and his friends must prepare for what is to come. With Sora, Kairi and Lea both having to earn their Mark of Mastery, Riku and King Mickey are sent to gather more information about the mysteries of Kingdom Hearts and hearts in general. This path leads Riku to the Lycans, people of the wolves with a vast knowledge of Kingdom Hearts. Their knowledge can aid them in finding and restoring the other Warriors of Light. However, will they gain more knowledge than anticipated?

* * *

At the Tower of Mystery, Sora Kairi and Lea are preparing to take their Marks of Mastery. They talk with Yen Sid to get instructions on what to do. They are going into the Dream World again, but instead of unlocking sleeping Keyholes they are to dream through memories between the three of them and the data from Jiminy's journals of past adventures. This is to gain n understanding of the chain of events that led them all up to this point, and to figure out what exactly happened to the remaining Warriors of Light.

"I'm so ready to pass this time, and I'll catch up with Riku," Sora exclaimed.

"Not a chance! I'll beat you to it," Lea replies just to antagonize Sora.

"Wanna bet?"

"Bring it on Sora!"

The bickering between the two continues on, until a soft cough interrupts them. Lea and Sora turn around to an annoyed Yen Sid, a Kairi shaking her head, and Donald, Goofy, King Mickey and Riku snickering in the background.

"Now that I have your attention, we can begin the Mark of Mastery test for the three of you," Master Yen Sid starts.

"You all will be put into a deep sleep where you will face trials similar to the ones already faced through your memories. The difference is that instead of unlocking Keyholes, you will be unlocking memories and make sure that the progression of your memories goes in the direction they're supposed to go. You will act as overseers of your memories, and will even see yourselves in these past events.

"This is to make you all understand the chain of events leading to the present. This includes memories that are not your own, but are somehow connected to each of you. These are very important memories that are locked away deep in your hearts. The goal is to unlock these memories to help figure out the locations of the other Warriors. Donald and Goofy will accompany you all, but only under dire circumstances. Are you all ready for this journey?"

"Yes," all three reply in unison.

"Very well, let us begin."

* * *

The group is then induced into a deep sleep to relive past memories. Once this occurs, Yen Sid turns toward the remaining people awake in the room.

King Mickey then asks, " With everyone in the dream world, what do you want us to do?"

"I have a task for you both," Yen Sid replies.

"I would like the both of you to do research. There are many mysteries of Kingdom Hearts that we don't know or understand. I want King Mickey to go to Radiant Garden to do research in Ansem the Wise's castle to work with the former Nobodies and see what they know and remember." King Mickey nods in return.

"As for you Riku, you shall go to Twilight Town. There is a family I would like you to meet there. They will guide you in your search for answers about Kingdom Hearts and the origins of the Keyblade. What knowledge do you have of Lycans?"

Riku replies, "Lycans? They're folklore about people who turn into monstrous wolves during the full moon and eat children who were bad. Yes, I've heard of them through bedtime stories."

"Well, you're close, but not quite. You see, when we don't understand something, or someone who're different, we tend to fear it and try to make sense of it, even though it may not be the truth," Yen Sid explains.

"The Lycans are people who are guided by what is known as Wolf Spirit. With it, they can transform into various wolf-like forms. They are drawn towards the moon and the night, and are able to survive in darkness."

King Mickey asks, "So what you're saying is that they can come and go through the darkness as they please?"

"Precisely," Yen Sid answers. "They are beings of half-light and half darkness. I do not know the correlation between Kingdom Hearts and the Lycans for they keep to themselves. However, I do know they would have knowledge that proceeds my own about Kingdom Hearts. They're origins predate to before the worlds were split and the Keyblade War ensued."

"That is why I want you, Riku to find the Lycan Starlette in Twilight Town. She has contacted me to give her knowledge. You will stay with her family for a while and attend a school named Sky High as your cover. Once Sora Kairi finish their exam, they will join you. But for now you are to go alone."

Riku thinks for a moment. Then he asks, "Okay, how will I find her?"

"That I don't know. All she said in the letter she sent me was that she has dark hair with chocolate skin. She and her family seem to know what you look like so my only advice is to be vigilant."

Riku sighed in exasperation. "Well that doesn't help. I'd rather leave as soon as possible. When are you leaving Your Majesty?"

"Whenever you are Riku," Mickey responds.

Yen Sid nods in farewell. "Very well, this is goodbye for now. I bid you all safe travels."

Once the goodbyes were over, Riku and King Mickey set off on their separate journeys.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Sky High or Kingdom Hearts, but I did make up the Motto for the school. You'll see.

Chapter 2 Reaching High in the Sky

Riku, upon reaching Twilight Town in the afternoon, disembarks his gummi ship behind the abandoned old mansion. He figured that it was the best place to hide the gummi ship out of sight. Once off the ship, Riku ponders of what to do next. 'Whom should I talk to, to get information?' Then suddenly, he thinks of Hayner, Pence, and Olette, who were friends with Roxas in the data version of Twilight Town. He runs off to the main square in Twilight Town. Once there, He spots Hayner and the gang walking towards the path to the abandoned mansion. They spot Riku and walk up to him.

"Hey, are you new here," Hayner asks.

"Yeah, we've never seen you around before," Pence adds.

Riku replies with a soft smile, "Yeah, I'm new, my name's Riku."

"That's a cool name," says Olette, who has a slight blush on her cheeks. "My name is Olette. This is Pence, and Hayner. Nice to meet you! If you need help getting around town, just ask us."

Riku replies with a wider smile, "The feeling's mutual." At this, Olette's blush gets darker. "Actually I have a question to ask. Do any of you know of a woman called Starlette?"

The faces they make let's Riku know the answer to their question immediately. "Sorry," we don't know of anyone named Starlette," Hayner answers. Hmm…

Riku thinks of something else to ask. "Oh, that's okay. Would you guys happen to know of a school called Sky High?"

The looks they give him this time discourages Riku a bit. 'They probably wouldn't know about the school seeing how it's only for the supernatural.' Then Olette makes a face of recognition. "Oh I've heard of that school. It's a super private school for the gifted. Super selective too."

Riku lights back up. "Do you know where it is?"

"Unfortunately, no. It's a super private school at a super private location. They have weird rules. Only close friends and family can physically visit the school." At this Riku deflates. 'So close yet so far.'

"They even have a weird corny motto saying 'If you reach for the stars you'll find us, Sky High." Olette, Pence and Hayner then start to laugh at the motto. They didn't notice Riku perk up at the information. 'This could be a clue.' Before Riku could get a chance to decode the clue, Hayner notices him zoning out.

"Hey Riku, do you wanna hang with us," Hayner asks. "We're going to explore that old abandoned mansion past the forest."

Riku inwardly smirks. He knows that mansion personally and going back would relive memories of his darker days. "No thanks, I really have to find this person. Maybe we'll hang some other time"

"Alright, see ya later Riku," Pence says in farewell. They walk through the hole towards the mansion. Riku is left alone to think about the clue he was given. Riku thinks aloud. " If you reach for the stars, you'll find us, Sky High." He then looks towards the sky and sees something shiny but unrecognizable high up. He repeats the motto in his head, and is then hit by an epiphany. The reason why know one really knows about the school is because it floats in the sky! 'It all makes sense. Now how do I get there?' He can't go back to the gummi ship. Hayner and his friends are there and he wouldn't want to get caught flying the ship. As he was blindly walking towards a random store, a girl bumps into him and they both fall. The girl quickly gets off of Riku and begins to apologize.

"I'm so sorry, are you okay-," the girl stops and looks at Riku. A flash of recognition crosses her face, and she is frozen in place mouth open and all. Riku during the distraction takes a good look at her. She is an awkward girl who was on the overweight side. She has a round, slightly defined face, straightened hair (slightly poofy from humidity) and smooth chocolate skin. Her arms were chubby at the shoulders, her stomach was chubby as well, though she hid it well enough, and her legs were rather long and slender. She wore a white loose, flowy high-low tank top with a picture of a bedazzled bulldog while wearing a burgundy hoody, and denim shorts that fit her nicely. Her shoes were black high-top wedge sneakers. All in all she wasn't a bad looking girl, she just needed some work. But what struck Riku the most were her eyes. At first they were a bright, almost glowing amber gold color, then they faded to a deep chocolate brown. For some reason they seem familiar…

"I'm fine, are you okay," Riku asks while picking up the girl's backpack from its residency on the floor from when they fell.

"Oh I'm fine, thank you for picking up my bag for me," the girl answers shyly, gently taking her bag from Riku with a slight blush.

"I noticed that you recognized me. Are you Starlette?"

"No. My name is Nyx." Upon hearing this, Riku sighs in defeat. 'This is going to take for ever to find her.'

"If you need to see my mother though, I'll be happy to take you to her."

"You're mother?" Riku is visually surprised. Nyx giggles softly at his expression.

"Yes, Starlette is my mother. Follow me, I was on my way home anyway."

And thus Riku followed his new friend Nyx to her home.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Meeting the Family

While following Nyx home, the scenery changes from the bustling city to a more suburban area. The houses are father apart, with decent sized yards big enough to run around. Once they reach their destination, they are in front of a peach colored house with a brown roof that oversees a "Y" shaped intersection. It has a bay window on the left side of the house, looking into what could be seen as a living room. The house is situated on its own little hill, with a spacious green yard and a driveway that leads to a two-car garage. The right side of the driveway has a young Japanese maple tree with beautiful red leaves. On the other side of the driveway at the end, three steps lead to a walkway to a white front door on a red brick wall. On the left of the walkway are various decorative miniature trees and bushes. On the right of the brick wall, a sculpture of an eagle over the number 50 hangs.

Nyx opens the screen door and opens her bag to dig for her keys. Upon seeing her struggle, Riku holds the screen for her. As she pulls out her keys, Nyx utters a small 'thank you' towards Riku. Once she opens the door they head inside. Straight across from the hallway lies the stairs that lead up to the second floor landing where the bedrooms and main bathroom are. The wallpaper is a mix of pastel greens, pinks and whites. The living room is to the left, and on the right of the staircase is another staircase going down into the kitchen. Before the living room, there is a small wall on the immediate left that holds a glass ledge and a mirror with crystal flowers swirling through it. The living room held a piano on the closet wall to the hallway, a tan leather loveseat and two couches, an upright bass on a stand, and a brass table on the farthest wall under a grand mirror. Behind the loveseat on the right side wall of the room there was a railing and stairs that lead into another room. While Riku was preoccupied with curiosity, Nyx quickly closes the door. Soon, a black figure on four legs darts out from the left side of the second floor and looks down from the top of the stairs. A black, shiny tail starts wagging, and the four-legged creature flies down the stairs to greet the new stranger. He jumps on Riku, causing him to stagger a bit from the unanticipated attack.

"Shadow get down" Nyx commands. "No jump!" The four-legged creature gets down, but does little jumps in excitement as he puts his weight on Riku. "Sorry about not warning you about the dog, he doesn't bite. If anything he'll try to lick you to death. He just wants you to pet him." Nyx is visibly embarrassed.

"It's alright, I don't mind dogs." Riku shrugs. "What kind of dog is he? His coat is really shiny."

"He's a black Labrador Retriever. He coat relatively stays shiny even through dirt. He's a special dog." Nyx explains this while patting Shadow's head. The dog didn't pay her much mind, as he was distracted by the scents on Riku. "He also likes to sniff a lot."

"I see." Riku pats Shadow's stomach, who's now on the ground belly-side up to give Riku access. 'Such a silly dog,' Riku thinks. "Is your mom here? I should probably speak to her soon."

Nyx sighs. "You'll have to wait for a bit. Her car wasn't in the driveway so she's either doing errands or still at work. In the meantime, would you like something to drink?"

Nyx offers a multitude of drinks. Riku settles on water. While Nyx goes and gets water for Riku, Shadow and him are playfully wrestling. Suddenly Shadow pops up and starts barking, throwing Riku off guard and startling him, though he wouldn't admit it. Nyx comes back upstairs and gives Riku his water when the sound of keys can be heard through the door. Nyx opens the door, and there lies an older, spitting image of Nyx. The woman, (whom Riku presumes is Starlette an Nyx's mother) has a young face but has features of a middle-aged woman. She has dark straightened hair like her daughter, although graying at the roots. Her figure is a lot more petite and dainty than Nyx. She is wearing a black sleeveless dress shirt with flared out gray pants. On her neck lies a small chain with a ribbon of silver shaped as a heart. Her shoes were plain black-heeled shoes.

"Hi mommy." Nyx greets her mother with a hug and a smile on her face. "I have someone who'd like to speak with you." She gestures toward Riku.

"Oh, so you must be Riku. How nice to meet you! I'm Starlette." She greets Riku with a handshake. "Would you like to sit down?"

The group, including Shadow, migrates towards the living room and takes their seats. Shadow, somewhat upset from being ignored by his 'mother', plops down in front of where she's sitting (by the window) to get belly-rubbed. She takes off her shoes to rub him with her feet, muttering the words "silly dog" and "big baby" under her breath. 'For a dog, he's such a momma's boy.' Nyx get up to go upstairs and put her bag away. She comes back down with a handheld electronic console in her hand. She sits on the couch in the corner next to the stairwell. Riku is sitting on the loveseat.

Starlette starts the conversation. "So, as you know, Master Yen Sid sent you here to get the information that we possess. We can give you that, but it won't happen overnight." Riku inwardly sighs. "There's a lot to learn about the history of Kingdom Hearts according to the Lycans. But first, do you know where you're staying?"

Riku didn't think of that. "I honestly didn't think of that. I figured the old abandoned mansion would do…"

"Oh heavens no! We've already made arrangements for you to stay here." At this, Nyx's head shoots up from the game she's playing and stares at her mother with a questioning glance.

After seeing Nyx's reaction, Riku asks "Are you sure it's alright?"

"Yes of course. School is about to start in a few days. You're attending Sky High to train during your stay here. My daughter is a senior there. What better way than to go together?" Nyx rolls her eyes at her mother's enthusiasm. "Another reason why you're staying here is to go back to school. Seeing how you've been missing for a good period of time. You'll also train at school. It'll give you a chance to hone your skills some more." 'And to help my daughter out' Starlette reflects inwardly.

Riku thinks for a bit. "Sure I'll stay. Staying here would be much better than staying in the old abandoned mansion. It's pretty dusty there."

"That it is. Are you hungry from your travels?" At that moment Riku's stomach growls in reply. Riku blushes in embarrassment. Starlette giggles, "Alright, I'll start cooking dinner."

Starlette leaves the room to go downstairs to the kitchen. This left Nyx and Riku alone in the room. Nyx is making an effort to focus on the game she's playing as she doesn't know what to do social wise. Riku makes an attempt to talk to her.

"So, what's Sky High like," Riku inquires.

Nyx lowers her game and looks at him. "It's a big floating school. It's not a world, more like a hub. It connects to multiple worlds, and only people who know that other worlds exist and are supernatural or work with the supernatural go here."

"That sounds cool."

"Yeah…" An awkward silence fills the room. Nyx speaks up again to kill the silence. "You'd fit right in there. A few years back, the curriculum was based on whether or not you're a hero or sidekick judging from a person's power. Now, it doesn't matter and you take both hero and sidekick classes. It's not you're average school, though regular academics are the same."

Riku became excited in the inside. 'Maybe this won't be so bad after all.' "So, you're a Lycan right?"

Nyx replies with a smile, "Yes."

"Do you have wolf ears?"

At the question, Nyx's smile falls. "Yes we all have wolf features, but I can't transform. We're not allowed to use our powers."

Riku found this odd. By judging from Nyx reaction the topic was a touchy subject. He buries his curiosity for now and tries to change the subject. "Sooo…"

"Sooo…" Nyx copies. The two stare at each other for a moment. Then suddenly they both start laughing. "So, you have a Keyblade," Nyx asks when her laughter dies down.

Riku calms down a bit. "Yes, do you wanna see it?" Before he finishes his question, Nyx's eyes grow big and wide in curiosity. He took her reaction as a yes. He stretched out his hand, and his Keyblade materialized. If he thought Nyx's eyes were wide before, they were small compared to how big they are now. "It's called Way to the Dawn."

Nyx is examining the weapon very intensely, looking at every detail. "That's a cool name, it's fitting. Can I hold it?" Riku, knowing that Way to the Dawn would immediately come back to him, hands her the weapon. Nyx eagerly accepts the Keyblade and tests a small, slow swing. "It's a little heavy," Nyx notes.

Riku is watching the girl with amusement. He then notices that her eyes change back to that amber-yellow color that he saw earlier. He is hypnotized by the glow that it produces, the radiance that resonates from her irises. Nyx senses him staring and looks at him with a questioning glance. "Is something wrong?"

The question brings Riku out of his stupor. "No, nothings wrong" he replies. " It's just that, your eye color changed. It's yellow now, like when I bumped into you before."

With this, Nyx immediately gives Riku back his Keyblade. "Oh it um, does that sometimes. Let me show you to your room." She walks upstairs and takes a right. Riku follows. At the end of the hall there are four doors that lead to bedrooms. Nyx's room has a door with her name on it at the very end. She stops at a door to the left. "This is your room. Make yourself comfortable, I'll go check on dinner." And with that she ran down the stairs in a mad dash towards the kitchen, leaving a confused Riku in her dust.

Nyx makes it to the kitchen, panting heavily as if she ran a mile. Her mother turns away from the pot she's cooking with to give Nyx a questioning glance. Before she could ask her daughter about the current state she's in, Nyx starts to speak. "Why didn't you tell me," *pant* "that _**he **_was_** coming here,**_" she asks.

Starlette ponders for a moment. "I didn't tell you? Whoops, I meant to tell you." She turns back to the pot to mix the contents inside. "I thought it would be a good idea. The Keyblade Masters would get information that would help them. And to reverse a mistake that I made…"

Nyx pauses for a moment. "We can't tell him anything, or give anything away purposefully. How is he going to remember?"

"The curse that was put on him acts as amnesia. There can be a way that his heart can remember without us doing anything. And don't forget about Namine. Her actions may have weakened the curse."

Nyx sighs in frustration. "That still doesn't help me. How am I supposed to help him remember?"

Starlette stops stirring. "That's something that you will have to figure out yourself, Pumpkin Pie."

"I can't deal, I'm going outside right now." Shadow perks up at the word outside and follows Nyx to the family room to go outside. She opens the glass door and goes out onto the deck, closing it once Shadow came out. Starlette zones out on the space her daughter once occupied, then goes back to cooking.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Dinner Time

Riku comes down to the kitchen after settling in to his new room. Dinner was ready. It consisted of spaghetti with cilantro shrimp, spinach, and olive oil mixed together with a side of Caesar salad and biscuits. There were three plates arranged on the table for everyone to eat off of. As Riku came down Nyx comes inside with Shadow on her heels. She goes to the guest bathroom that's right before the entrance of the kitchen to wash her hands. Shadow goes up to Riku and rubs on him to get Riku to pet him. Riku, knowing he's about to eat, refrains. Shadow walks away dejected.

Nyx goes up to Riku, "Oh don't mind him, he's such a baby. He'll come back to beg for some of your food. Or lay under the table." She goes and sits down on a chair by the wall on the other side of the kitchen. He sits next to her. Starlette after cleaning up the stove, sits down across from Nyx. Then they say a prayer.

_Our hands we fold, our head we bow. We thank you for these drink and food now and let it nourish our bodies. By the grace of Kingdom Hearts, Amen._

Everyone then starts eating. Once they were finished, they all put their dishes in the sink. Afterwards, they get ready to head out to get Riku's Gummi ship. They walk to the Old Mansion. The moon is high in the sky at this point. The walk is pretty quiet. Then Starlette asks a question. "So Riku, how was your travel here? Was there a lot of Heartless traffic?"

Riku replies. "No, it was smooth sailing here, considering all that's happened here."

They reach the Old Mansion and walk towards Riku's Gummi Ship. He opens the ship to let Nyx and Starlette in. There's enough room to fit up to five people. "Hey Riku, mind if I drive," Starlette asks. "I can show you where we dock registered Gummi ships."

Riku nods in approval and sits in one of the passenger seats. Nyx sits next to him. "Your Gummi ship is really cool," she says. "What's its name?"

He gives her a soft smile, "I named it Highwind."

They arrive at the hanger. It's in a clearing surround by thick trees that act as walls so no one could see through. Starlette explains that the house is within walking distance. As she's registering the Keyblade wielder's Gummi ship she comments on the name. "Now that's a name for a Gummi ship! How did you come up with such a name?"

Riku blushes at the memory of the name. "Well, it was actually a name for a raft my friends and I built to try to leave the island we live on. It was a silly idea." He scratches the back of his head in embarrassment. "We even had a race to see what the name would be. I won, so I named it Highwind."

Riku didn't see it, but alarm showed in their eyes for a brief moment when mother and daughter locked eyes with each other. To keep from looking alarmed, Nyx continues the conversation. "Well it sounds like you had some great memories and even greater friends."

Riku smiles again in agreement. They head back to the house. Once they get back, Shadow greets them with a wagging tail, and Starlette heads upstairs. "I'm going to bed, don't stay up too late," she advises. "You both are waking up early tomorrow." With that she heads towards her room with Shadow on her heels. If Riku didn't understand why they named him Shadow, he definitely understood now.

Nyx starts to head upstairs. "I'm so excited! You'll be coming to Sky High with me tomorrow.

Riku follows her. "Wait, I thought school starts in a few days."

"We have to get you registered and such. I have marching band practice so I have to go to the school anyway." They reach their respective doors. "Well, good night," Nyx says with a smile."

"Good night," Riku replies back with a smile of his own. They both enter their rooms to rest for the night.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Transferring, Please Wait

A/N: I changed the format of the school. I based it of the high school I went to.

An alarm goes off in Nyx's room. It's followed by various thuds and other noises, and then finally emerges a not so awake Nyx. She woke up an extra thirty minutes early. She has everything she needs to get washed up and changed in the bathroom. She enters the bathroom and closes the door. Thirty minutes later Nyx comes out the bathroom dressed and clean and very awake. She goes back to her room to put on lotion and sunscreen. Afterwards she goes to Riku's door. She knocks twice.

"Hey are you up," She asks, "It's time to get ready to go. We leave in an hour." She hears a groggy moan and some shifting on the bed. Then silence. 'He's not a morning person.' She inwardly laughs to herself. "Hey, you better not fall asleep on me, we gotta go." Finally Riku gets up. He opens the door and reveals that he is in fact shirtless. Nyx is trying her hardest not to stare or look down to see what else she could find; his chest and muscles are very distracting. After a moment, Nyx snaps out of it. "Uhh the bathroom is on the right." She says this rapidly with a slight higher pitch of voice. Then she pretty much runs down the stairs without looking back.

Riku is confused since he's still half asleep. Then it hits him that he's only in boxers. Now he realizes why Nyx was acting weird suddenly with a faint blush on her cheeks. Her eye color also flashed. He smirks to himself. Riku may be modest, but knowing a girl is attracted to them would make any guy's day. He gets his things and heads to the bathroom to get ready. Twenty minutes later he's ready and leaves the bathroom to head downstairs to the kitchen. Once he reaches there, he sees Nyx sitting at the table with a bowl of mostly empty cereal. She's playing on her handheld device just like yesterday. There is an empty bowl on the table with a box of Frosted Flakes and half a gallon of milk. He sits down and prepares himself a bowl of cereal. He notes how invested Nyx is in her handheld. Feeling eyes on herself, Nyx looks up at Riku.

"Oh hey," she greets him, "I hope that the cereal is okay. We don't have much else."

Riku gives his approval. "It's alright. I eat these at home." He looks at her device. "What is that? I saw you on it yesterday."

"Oh this? It's a video game. It has two screens and the bottom screen is a touch screen." She shows him the device and how the touch screen works with her stylus. "You buy little cartridges and put them in the device. The cartridge is the game, without it there wouldn't be much to do with the system." She shows him where the cartridge goes. "The game I'm playing right now is about a character that goes off on a journey to capture and train monsters and defeat gym leaders. It's called Pocket Monsters."

Riku nods his head and gets the gist of the game, but doesn't see much interest in it. He finishes eating his cereal and puts his bowl in the sink. Nyx follows suit after him. At this point, Starlette has come down the stairs and entered the kitchen. "Are you guys ready to go?"

They say yes in unison. They walk to the Gummi ship hanger and board Starlette's dark blue and black Gummi ship named Shadow. They strap in and prepare for lift-off. The Gummi ship rockets into the air, leaving the atmosphere of Twilight Town. Within minutes, Sky High can be seen through the distance. They land on its surface softly. They disembark in the back of the school. The school is large, with three floors, a music and performing arts wing, and a wing for the Gym. There's a track surrounding a football field, bordered by bleachers and a fence. A press box faces the school. They enter a small vestibule before entering the Events Lobby of the school.

"This is where we part ways," Nyx says. "Bye Mom." She gives Starlette a hug. She turns to Riku to give a shy goodbye and a wave before she heads to where she needs to go. Riku waves back at her, then follows Starlette to a guidance counselor's office. After going up a flight of stairs and going down a hallway, they reach their destination. One side of the hallway is glass that overlooks the front lobby and some classrooms. The other side is sprinkled with classrooms and other rooms. The initial room for the guidance counselors is titled A-103 in the middle of the hallway. However, once inside there are multiple rooms each occupied by different counselors. Starlette makes a left and enters a room with a middle-aged woman with caramel skin, short black hair and soft eye. The room is small, with a chunky computer at the center of a messy desk. Various posters cover the walls. The plaque on her desk reads _**Ms. Key**__. _

"Hello, how may I help you," Ms. Key asks without looking up from her computer.

Starlette replies kindly, "Hello, my name is Starlette Crescent. I'm here to transfer Riku here," she points to Riku, "to Sky High starting this fall. Along with two other students who'll transfer later."

Ms. Key takes a closer look at Riku. Then recognition flashes across her face. "Oh! You're Riku! You're the new Keyblade Master of this generation. We'd be happy to have you at our school!" At this point Ms. Key is adamantly shaking Riku's hand after standing up. "Your heroic deeds across the worlds are known throughout the school. You're quite popular."

Riku blushes a bit from the sudden attention and outburst. Ms. Key calms down a bit and stops shaking Riku's hand. She sits back down and clears her throat. "So we'll e transferring Master Riku to this school," Ms. Key comments. "May I ask what your last name is young man?"

Riku replies, "Tasogare."

"Tasogare you say? That's a nice last name. Okay, I'm putting you in the system. It'll take a minute. Do you have any questions about this school?"

Riku ponders for a bit. "What classes will I be taking?"

"Well seeing how you're already a Master you can take Master classes for training and you won't have to take an assessment for that. You'll also have to take some academic classes seeing how you've probably been away from school for a while. We'll give you an assessment to see where you're at."

'_Great, I'll probably have to take math and stuff,' _Riku thinks inwardly.

"Okay you're in the system. Now it's time to take your test. Follow me." Ms. Key gets up and leads the way out of the office. They make a right once out of the counselors' suites and go across the hall to a door. The sign next to the door says "Computer Lab".

Starlette taps Riku on the shoulder. "Hey, I'm going to watch the Marching Band practice. It's outside on the stadium. When you're done come find me. It's by where we came from in the back." Riku nods in understanding. Starlette waves and bids him good luck before heading down the hall. Riku goes into the room.

Once inside, he heads to the closet computer. Ms. Key has already set up the test. She instructs him on how to take the assessment on the computer. Then she sits on the opposite side of the room to give Riku some privacy during the test. It takes him 40 minutes to complete the test. Once done, the information of his performance is printed out on paper. Ms. Key takes the paper and heads to her office with Riku in tow.

Once Ms. Key returns to her desk, she analyzes the results of Riku's assessment. The wait makes Riku a little anxious. Finally, Ms. Key is done and starts to speak. "Your results are good so you'll be taking senior level academic classes. So you have Precalculus for Math, Literature, and History of the Worlds. Most seniors don't have to take a math and history class. However, because of past events you missed a year so you have to take them. Since you're a senior and your results were good, a science isn't really required, but I'll give you Anatomy to fill the requirement and to spare you. As for your electives, what do you have in mind? You can take up to two."

Riku makes a face, prompting Ms. Key to show him some of the options to chose from in the classes catalog. "The art electives are popular choices followed by music if you sing or play an instrument. You can also take another academic based class or become a student aid or get an extra training class."

Riku thinks about his choices. Finally, he picks Art II Honors. Ms. Key explained that the basic art classes are honor classes, as long as he could complete projects, he shouldn't have a problem. He also opts for a Training class focusing on magic and defense. "Okay your schedule is set," says Ms. Key. "You have Anatomy first, then Art, Math, Gym, Lunch, Literature, History and finally, Magic and Defense Training." Ms. Key prints out Riku's schedule and hands it to him. "You're all set. I look forward to seeing you in the fall. If you have any questions contact me through the e-mail on your schedule."

With that, Riku thanks the counselor and leaves the room. He remembers where he came in from with Starlette and goes back in that direction. He goes down the stairs and past the cafeteria and enters the events lobby. Once there, he heads out the doors to the vestibule and then to outside. Riku sees the stadium past the end of the parking lot. He walks the short distance to the field. There's a ramp to go up the bleachers. Once up the ramp, he sees a handful of adults. He spots Starlette and goes up to sit with her.

"How did it go," Starlette asks once Riku sat down.

"It went well, lengthy though," he replies with a polite smile. They watch the marching band move throughout the field with their instruments. There are people, mostly girls, marching with the band without instruments. Instead they held flag poles. Nyx was one of those people. Riku could spot her from the distance. It was if she were gliding across the field as she marched. The people with flags just held them in place. The same went with the band; they didn't play, they just held their instruments as they marched. The band director who was at the bottom of the bleachers was yelling at the students on the field. He then told them to start from the top. All the students scramble to their starting positions.

A female student with blonde hair is on a podium in front of the field. She starts waving her arms in four movements, then the band starts to play in place. The people with flags start moving their flags in graceful swipes, showing off the silk of the flags. Then everyone starts to move around the field. The band and flag spinners start to make intricate designs on the field with their movements. This must have been the first time they performed everything together; the performance as a whole was a little sloppy. But with a few more practices they could be come really good. Finally the song ended and everyone made their end pose. The director congratulates them on getting through it all for the first time, then dismissed the students. Everyone is high-fiving each other while they're packing up. The flag spinners make their way to two women on the side of the field. After a short moment the group disbands and pack up their equipment and head inside. They go inside a side door not too far from the vestibule.

As students trickle out the band room, they finally see Nyx emerge from the building. She's waving to people as she walks towards her mother and Riku. "Hey, you got everything," Starlette asks Nyx. She just nods in response. The trio makes their way to their Gummi ship with Riku and Nyx lagging behind Starlette.

"How did it go," Nyx asks Riku.

He replies with, "It was alright, got all senior classes."

"Ah that's good. Hopefully we get into the same classes." She gives him a smile Riku can't resist returning. They board the Gummi Ship to embark on a journey back home.

A/N: To my lone reviewer. Thank you for reviewing my story. I didn't think anyone was really reading this. This is my first fan fiction ever. I know it's a slow start and right now it's only at a K rating right now. I promise that the story will get more T rated. It might even go to the M rating. Just not right now. I'm still introducing some things. Expect the character to be a bit Mary Sue-ish but not without some major hardships.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: I'm so sorry that I took so long to update. Got caught up in school and junk. Here's a new chapter.

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Chapter 6: The First Day

A few days have past, and it's the morning of the first day of school. Both students are just waking up to get ready for school. Turns out that Riku and Nyx have a lot of the same classes, except for Anatomy, Gym (same period, different sections) Math, and History. They had to go back to the school to get Riku's summer reading and to register his Gummi at the school so he wouldn't have to take the school bus. Nyx was openly excited, to her embarrassment, while Riku was much more successful in concealing his excitement. He had grown a bit of a fondness for the girl. Something about her just seems so familiar, as if he's been reunited with a long lost friend.

Nyx didn't wake up early this time, opting to take hers at night to get in some more sleep. So Riku takes a chance and occupies the bathroom. In fifteen he's showered dressed in his uniform for school. He examines himself in the mirror. It consisted of a white buttoned up shirt with sleeves and a plaid blue tie and blue plaid shorts for the summer weather. All of the plaid had gold accents. The colors were similar colors to his school back at Destiny Islands.

The sudden nostalgia caused a sudden rush of an old hidden memory to resurface. The memory is hazy, but in it is a five year-old Riku with Sora talking to a girl. However, the girl isn't Kairi or Selphie. Or any girl that he remembers being on the Islands. The memory fades before he can make anything of it. He shrugs it off to decode it later, and leaves the bathroom with his things.

On his way back to his room, Riku passes by a very awake Nyx in her uniform. Her uniform is the similar to his, with a skirt and navy blue knee high socks. She wears black shorts with the skirt, as required for the female students (although this rule is often broken) and high-top black sneaker wedges. She has a blue jacket wrapped around her waist, and is holding her backpack. The sight of her brought an unknown memory to resurface for a second. Confused, Riku ends up passing her without saying hello. He goes into his room to get his book bag. Nyx doesn't really notice, she does, but nature's calling was to distracting at the moment. She puts her backpack n the floor outside the bathroom and went in to do her business

Once both teens headed downstairs and eaten their breakfast cereal, they got ready to head out. It's 6:50 am, and school starts at 7:27. At this point Starlette is up and bid the teens farewell and good luck on their first day. They walk to the hanger and prepare for lift off.

"You're going to have to sign in today, since you don't have an ID card yet to swipe in," says Nyx while Riku is driving the ship. "We'll get you one during lunch period." He commits this news to memory.

Once there, the school was a lot livelier than a few days ago. There were people on the campus hanging out in the parking lot and campus, and people getting dropped off by Gummi school buses in the front and Gummi ships in the back. Riku lands his ship and they get out. The time is 7:07 am. They walk to the vestibule and greet a muscular female security guard. Riku signs in and lets the guard know he doesn't have an ID. She gives him a paper slip for a temporary ID and lets him pass through. Nyx says hello to the guard and just enters the school, swiping her ID at one of the four card scanners. She catches up with Riku and walks with him.

"Do you have your schedule," Nyx asks Riku.

"Yes, right here," he replies after he pulls it out of his backpack.

"Ok good. The schedule tells you what class you have and in what room. It also tells you how long each period is, who your counselor is, and what locker you have. Can I see?" He shows her his schedule. "Okay, judging by your locker number, it's on the third floor and not too far from mine. A note for finding your classes, the letter in front of the classroom number corresponds to a wing. The first number after the letter tells what floor the room is. The last two digits tell where the room is on the floor. So your Anatomy class is B323. That means it's in wing B on the third floor in room 23 in that wing. It's easier once you get used to it."

Riku gets the idea, but once he sees how the school is formatted, he'll get it. They hit the B wing straight ahead past the cafeteria, and head up the first staircase as if they were going to the counselor's office. Instead, they went to the third floor instead of the second. Riku's class was only two classrooms away from the staircase. He found that Nyx's words were true, he was starting to get the hang of finding his classes. After finding the class they both went searching for their lockers. Finally they found them in the C wing. Nyx's was in the middle of the hallway while Riku's was a little further down. Nyx put her backpack in her locker and slams it shut. She walks to Riku's locker. They hang out for a bit talking about their classes when the warning bell sounds, alerting students that they have five minutes to get to class.

Nyx gets ready to leave. "Well I better get going, my class was back down by the Events lobby in that wing towards the left. It's the F wing, the wing of music. I have Orchestra first period. Such a chore to get there from here." She sighs dramatically with a hand on her forehead, causing Riku to chuckle. "I'll see you next period alright? By the way the art room is in the A wing, the wing we took to get from the B wing to the C wing. It's the one in the middle, the biggest art room in the wing."

"So we past it," asks Riku.

"Yup! You're catching on young whippersnapper!" She pats him on the back. "See ya later. And don't be late." She waves at him before heading towards a staircase and going down. Riku heads for his anatomy class.

First period went by really slow. So did the rest of the periods for that matter. Riku met back up with in Art class. Nyx was in a level 3 Art class while Riku was level one. They were in the same class with the same teacher, but had different projects. The class that day was pretty much a free period so they talked to each other. Riku's popularity was already sky rocketing due to people recognizing him. Since at that point they had classes in the same area, Nyx showed him to all of his classes. During unch period they went to the library to get Riku an ID. A flash later and Riku's picture is taken and his card is printed. The lady in charge goes on about the importance of his card and about not losing it. They go to lunch and Riku meets some of Nyx's friends. They were nice. Some of her friends even shared classes with the both of them. All the classes after lunch had a faster start, although the periods went by slowly still. Riku's favorite classes so far were Gym, Art and Magic and Defense.

Finally the clock struck 2:28 and the bell rang for dismissal. Riku and Nyx walk towards the Events Lobby to leave to go home. Everyone who sees him either waves, fan-girls, or gossip about him in hushed whispers. By the end of the day, Riku is very well known throughout the school. Knowing that everyone is noticing Nyx simply because she's next to Riku disheartens her and she lowers her head. Riku notices the action but doesn't say anything at the moment. They finally make it to the parking lot when a girl comes up to them.

The girl had long dirty blonde hair in a high ponytail with bangs swept to the sides, framing her heart-shaped face. She has light tan flawless skin, and a nice petite figure. Her skirt was noticeably higher than normal, and her shorts were quite tight. She wore black 3 inch heels with her ensemble. She makes eye contact with Nyx. When that happens, Nyx's aura suddenly darkens, and she becomes a bit hostile. Her eyes turn amber again, but this time with a bit of fire red speckled in them. The girl, after making eye contact with Nyx, completely ignores her presence. She saunters up to Riku, swaying her hips. She flips her bang in Nyx's face once she gets close enough.

The girl bats her eyes and speaks to Riku. "Hey, you must be the new kid. I'm Veronica, nice to meet you." She says that last sentence in a flirty sing-song voice.

"I'm Riku," he replies, blushing at Veronica's advances.

"You seem cool, we should hang out and get to know each other. Are you free?"

That's when Nyx butts in. "No he's not free. He has to go do, something." She says this quite defensively. Veronica looks at Nyx and gave her a glare that only she could notice, then looks back at Riku.

"I didn't hear Riku dear say anything about having plans" she says with her flirty mask back on. Both girls look at Riku expectantly. The tension in the air between the females is thick.

Riku, trying to keep the peace, politely says, "I'd love to hang out, but Nyx is right. I have to go do something."

Veronica falters for a moment, then picks herself back up. "Well, I'll hold you to your promise." She gives him her phone number. "Call me when you want to hang." She waves farewell to Riku, then looks at Nyx with a smirk. "Nyx," she says as a goodbye, voice dripping with mocking sweetness.

"Veronica," Nyx responds with subtle animosity. Veronica's smirk gets even wider before turning to leave, hips swaying dramatically. All the boys in the area are looking at her now, some with longing, others shaking their heads knowingly. She just found her next victim.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Heat-up that Cold Shoulder

After boarding the Gummi, Riku looks at Nyx. "What was that all about," he asks her.

Nyx looks at him. " That was Veronica Marigold. She's bad news. She's one of the most popular girls around school for less than charming things." She cringes about the thought about her. "Let's just say we have some history."

Riku thinks about her words. Still, he'd like to give Veronica a chance. She seems nice enough. They make it back home in record time. Once inside, Shadow greets them enthusiastically with a wagging tail. They go to the family room to watch T.V. and talk about their first day and finish the rest of their summer reading due the second week of school.

This became the routine for the family. They'd go to school, come back, then go do homework before hanging out. Then a week later, Nyx started color guard practice and other afterschool activities. . This left Riku alone afterschool. Sometimes he'd stay and watch while doing his homework. Other times he went home and Starlette would pick Nyx up.

During this time Veronica would stay and talk with Riku. Turns out they have a lot in common, including some classes together, including Math and Gym. They started hanging out while Nyx was at practice. Nyx's disapproval grew more and more each day. She started getting snarky and moody around Riku. She started seeing him less and less. Soon, Riku was spending most of his time with Veronica. At home, things became more tense.

Then finally, everything came to a head. One day after school, Nyx and Riku came home together. It was the one day that Nyx didn't have an afterschool activity. After ignoring him completely the whole ride home, Riku had enough. Before she could reach the stairs to go to her safe haven, Riku blocked her path.

"What's your problem," a frustrated Riku asks.

Trying to get past Riku without confrontation, Nyx replies, "I don't have a problem."

"You obviously do. You've been giving me the cold shoulder for days now." Nyx stays silent. "Is it because of Veronica?"

"No," Nyx replies too quickly while looking away, giving herself away.

"What is you're problem with her? And why are you punishing me for it. I thought we were friends."

Nyx sighs in exasperation. "We are friends. It's just… Veronica and I, we used to be best friends." She looks away in thought. "I knew her since third grade. We used to share our most deepest secrets with each other. We were inseparable. However, betrayal can cut through most bonds. Our friendship was no exception. She became the most popular girl in school, and made some sacrifices to do so."

Riku appears to be deep in thought. "So she dumped you as a friend once she became popular."

"In the most simple understanding of the situation, yes and no. It was a mutual break. She started acting in ways I didn't like, towards me and other people. And I guess I wasn't popular enough for her. After our friendship was over she started going out of her way to antagonize me, especially because she knows why I can fight back."

"So that's why you've been abrasive towards me."

"Yeah, I'm sorry I've been giving you the cold shoulder."

"It's alright, I forgive you, for now. You'll have to make it up to me though."

Nyx face shows subtle signs of surprise then horror. "How so?"

Riku chuckles at her visible agony. "By never doing it again, and hanging out with me today. Promise?"

Nyx sighs in relief and gives a smile. "I promise."

They end up doing homework together and talking about each other's day, with Nyx helping Riku with his Math.

The next morning, Riku and Nyx head off to school. They split up once getting their things from their lockers. The day was going along normally. Until it came to Gym class. Today was a free day, so they didn't have to change into their gym clothes and stay in their assigned sections. Nyx was about to head towards Riku with one of her friends he met named Tori. However, she was stopped in her tracks when Veronica swooped in and started talking to Riku, making eye contact with Nyx. The pair goes back to the other side of the gym while Veronica grabs Riku's arm to sit on the nearest bleacher.

"Hey there, Riku," Veronica croons sweetly.

"Oh hey, Veronica," Riku says distantly. "I thought you were Nyx."

Veronica is slightly appalled but recovers quickly. "Oh no. She wouldn't bother coming over here, since she's talking to her, _other _friend." They both look back to see Nyx conversing with Tori. She makes eye contact with Riku and waves briefly before continuing her conversation. Riku smiles at the gesture, completely oblivious to Veronica's underhanded comment.

"Anyways, what brings you over here," Riku asks.

Veronica replies, "Oh, I just wanted to ask if you're doing anything later."

"Well I can't, sorry," Riku says coldly while walking away.

Veronica is taken aback by Riku's sudden coldness towards her. "Hey don't be like that, I thought we were cool."

Riku turns around and faces her. "That's what I thought too. But I'm not cool with people who hurt my friends for some popularity."

Veronica scoffs at the accusation. "Is that what she told you?"

"Well, is it true?"

"I won't deny it. However our friendship was already on the rocks. She thinks she's so perfect. Who is she trying to fool? Let me tell you, she isn't as innocent as she looks. You'll see." With that, the bell rings and Veronica gets her things and leaves the gym.

At lunch, Riku meets up with Nyx and her friends to sit and eat. Nyx looks at Riku. He's eating his food distractedly, and it catches her attention. Then she thinks back to last period. "Hey Riku," she starts, "is everything alright? I saw you talking with Veronica, then she stormed away."

Riku snaps out of his daze. "Oh nothing," he says dismissively.

Nyx getting the hint changes the subject.

School is finally over as the clock hits 2:28 pm. Nyx has practice today, so Riku decides to stay behind for a bit before her practice begins. He walks with her to the F-wing when a rather heated Veronica intercepts their path in the events lobby. She waltzes up to Nyx, seemingly ignoring Riku. Suddenly, Veronica slaps Nyx clear across the face. In shock, everyone stops to see what's going on. Riku doesn't know how to react from the shock.

"You bitch! You just had to go and act like the victim huh," Veronica spits at Nyx. "Please entertain me, what did you tell him? I bet it wasn't the full truth. I bet you didn't tell him about _**that**_."

Nyx recovers with intensity in her eyes. "I don't know what you're getting at Veronica, but I told him the truth. It was a mutual break in our friendship. You became popular, I didn't."

Veronica sniggers. "Ha, don't make me laugh! Of course I'm the bad guy. But did you tell him what you did to me? Does he even know why you can't use your powers? Or that you can't even use them? Does he know what you really are?"

At this, Nyx becomes visibly nervous on top of her anger. The crowd becomes bigger as they're watching the drama unfold. "You know that information is off limits. You swore an oath not to tell anyone."

"I don't care. I can't stand your existence. How you parade around school, acting so innocent and helpless. If only everyone knew what kind of monster you are, of what you'd do to me if you could use your powers. Oh, it'd be just like last time, wouldn't it?"

Now Nyx is getting angrier. "Shut up! I am not a monster! And you knew that it was an accident. That happened years ago, get over it!"

"Ah, decided not to deny it? Don't tell me to get over it. You and I both know that it was no accident. You felt that desire to hurt me like you felt that rage inside. You burned me and you _wanted_ to burn me! I have the scars to prove it! The adults just made me brush it off thinking it was just an accident. But I know you. I know what you are! You're a…"

"I said **SHUT UP**!" Nyx snaps. In a split second, her hands ignite into purple and teal flaming fists. Her eyes turn into a raging gold with specks of fiery red. With speed no one thought Nyx could accomplish, she punches Veronica square in the stomach with a force that makes her go flying across the room. Veronica lands on her side and skids across the floor a few inches. Everyone looks at Nyx with wide eyes. Veronica slowly gets up.

She looks at Nyx and smirks. "Yeah, that's right. Show everyone what you are. You even look it now, a monster."

This brought Nyx back out of her rage. Her flaming fists fade and fizzle out, along with the angry color of her irises. She starts to realize what she's done, and becomes ashamed of herself and her actions. Not being able to face anyone, she runs out the Events lobby doors and down the street, with no one stopping her.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Search

After making sure Veronica was okay, Riku went to go look for Nyx. However, after 30 minutes, he couldn't find her. Maybe she got on the bus and went home. He left to see if that was a correct assumption. He boarded his Gummi ship and headed to his temporary home. Once getting there, he was greeted by Shadow and Starlette who was home by this time.

"Hi Riku, how was school," Starlette asks.

Riku not paying attention to her greeting simply asks, "Is Nyx home?"

"Didn't you see her off to practice? Did something happen at school?" Starlette starts to visibly worry.

Riku sighs deeply as he sits on the sofa in the living room. "She and a girl named Veronica got into it right after school. They were going back and forth and then Nyx snapped. She punched Veronica with these dark flames and she went flying. She also started to change a bit. Almost…, feral. And Veronica said that it happened before."

Starlette's face is of shock and horror. "Oh no," she starts, "It happened again."

"So it's true then? She's done this before?" Riku pauses. "I think it's time that I start learning about what you guys are about."

"Alright then, it is overdue. I'll start today, but after we find Nyx. Let's go."

At those words, Shadow looked at his master with big puppy eyes and started whimpering. Starlette, not being able to take his face at the moment, decided to take the dog with them. They went to the Gummi ship hanger to board Starlette's ship. And thus the search began.

For about a few hours, Starlette, Riku, and Shadow searched for Nyx. They started at the school, and concluded that she somehow was able to leave the floating school. Then they looked in local places that she could have walked to, such as the convenience store or the video game store nearby. However, those places were a dead-end in finding Nyx. After multiple no-shows, the sun was starting to set and turn into night. This gave Starlette an idea on where her daughter might be. There's a reason why the world is called Twilight Town. It's beauty shines brightly at the cusp of day and night. Knowing how much her daughter loves watching the sunset from a high place, she knew exactly where she was.

She takes the Gummi ship back to the hanger much to Riku's confusion. They disembark and start walking, with Riku and Shadow following Starlette. After a few minutes, they come across a bridge that connects the suburban areas of Twilight Town to downtown. Sure enough, there is Nyx, resting on the ledge and gazing out towards the sunset. She appears more feral, and for the first time, Riku gets to see her wolf ears and tail. They were a deep black color, as deep as the night. Her right ear twitches as the group approaches her, with Shadow running ahead and colliding into Nyx.

She pats him on the head softly as he wags his tail. Starlette and Riku join Shadow and walk up to Nyx. Her ears go close to her head as she lowers her head. "I guess I owe you an explanation.." she says, trailing off.

"Well," her mother replies, "start talking." And so she did. She explained what happened at school, from start to finish. Wherever her account faltered in detail, Riku would say a thing or two to clarify. Now knowing what happened, Starlette let out a sigh of exasperation. "This is going to be a pain. It's time for some damage control. I'm going to have to call and have a talk with Veronica and her family, for she did instigate the incident."

She turns to Riku. "We should start going over the history of the Lycans once we get home. I also have a favor to ask of you." Riku nods in acknowledgment.

"As for you," Starlette turns to Nyx, "you need to start controlling your powers. It's not enough that you're emotions are neutral most of the time. So, you'll start training tomorrow at home after all your extracurriculars." Starlette starts to walk back home, Shadow in tow.

At this Nyx perks back up with a shocked but overjoyed expression. "You mean it? I can start training, after all these years?"

"I think your ready now. Oh and one more thing, starting today you're grounded for your anger getting the best of you and flame punching a student outside of class. So no video games or hangouts. You come straight home after your afterschool activities." With that, Nyx puts her head down in defeat and Riku snickers at her plight. 'Guess she wasn't off the hook.'

Finally, after a short walk they make it back home. Nyx was made to cough up her handheld game and was sent to her room after dinner. Then Starlette sat down in the living room inviting Riku to do the same. Once he sat down Starlette was ready to talk.

"Okay, where should I start?"


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: History Lesson

"As you know, before the universe came to be as we know it, the worlds were as one. At the beginning, people of all different walks of life flourished and lived together. For a time, everyone enjoyed the light of this world. There were different groups, some were kingdoms and nations. Others were hunters and gatherers and nomads. There were even some who didn't fit into a group and just wandered the world. People came to learn how to live in harmony under the great light which came to be known as Kingdom Hearts. Whenever the day went to rest and the night took over, there would lie the moon in the sky, in its iconic heart shape. This came to symbolize that no matter what, even through the darkest hour there would be a light to guide all creatures through."

"However, humanity, under the prosperity of the light grew in greed, hate, envy, and fear, along with other negative emotions. Humans grew fearful and envious of each other and other things, including the light. Humanity took over lands and became selfish. We became advanced in many things such as science and medicine. And with those advancements came blessings and burdens. We used our technology to survive, with a self-proclaimed superiority to other living things. If they weren't human, they weren't as important."

"Wolves were believed to be creatures blessed by Kingdom Hearts because of their connection to the moon. Wolves were most active at night, especially when the heart shaped moon. They seemed to have a mystic power that glowed when in the light of that moon. Humanity became fearful and envious of wolves, and it bred hate. Humans started hunting wolves for sport, protection and other usages, and if they attacked livestock they were sought after and killed. Soon wolves became fearful of humans, and either attacked or fled as soon as one was spotted."

"Some say that it was Kingdom Hearts' doing, but one day, before full civilizations were created, a ferocious hunter was battling a wolf being its equal in passion. The fight happened under the moon when it was at its biggest and most brightest time of the year. They seemed to be equally matched, and right before they were going to give each other the final blow, a bright light intervened and engulfed them. It soon engulfed hunters and wolves alike that had watched the fight unfold. Within that light, everyone transformed. Those with hearts too dark, wolf and human alike became embodiments of darkness and faded into the shadows. Others became denizens of light for they were of the light. And there were those who were no longer human nor wolf, but became fused beings each giving the other a piece of their soul. They were know as the first lycans. The hunter lycan and the wolf lycan were absolute opposing sides, two sides of the same coin. The hunter represented a ferocious, hard, hot, bright as day white. The wolf represented the receptive, soft, cold dark as night black. They each held a piece of each other so as to be a complete balance. Also, due to this union, both lycans possessed a heart twice the size of normal hearts, one half light and one half dark."

"As Kingdom Hearts failsafe, they were each given a key to unlocking each other's heart should one fall completely to light or darkness. After this, they were each sent away to different places, never to meet again, in that lifetime. There's more that happened after this such as the split into different worlds, but that is for another time."

"Lycans grew in size from then, and many types were made. There's even a whole new fusion, one with dogs, whose origins come from the Lycans. There are lycans with formidable strength and speed, magic, and fighting skills. There are also those that can control things such as fire, water, earth, air, or a combination of those."

"I bet you're wondering what type of lycan Nyx is, and why she wasn't allowed to use her powers. She is a lycan with powers based on her emotions. Not only that, but her powers are way above average and highly uncontrollable. It also leaves a sort of traceable residue that certain people can track when enough energy is used. Now, there are people who hunt lycans instead of wolves, and would kill to have a lycan like her under their belts. We call these hunters chasers and they're considerably dark by nature."

"She doesn't know this, but at one point, she was almost captured by one of these chasers. We had to leave our home and move here. Her training ceased, and she is the only one in the family who can't use her power in fear she might be taken or hunted down. However, I've come to realize that she's not a little girl, and that I won't always be here to protect her. She must train to protect herself and others. So, my favor to you is, will you help me train her?"

A/N: Think of this chapter as an explanation directly to you all, the readers, but also to Riku. If that makes sense.

Also, I didn't say it in the previous chapter, but to my Guest reviewer: Thank you for liking my my story so far. I really appreciate that you like my story, I didn't know whether my story would be liked by anyone. So I thank you and hope you continue to like my story (or grow to love it ;p )

P.S. Veronica is going to learn from her actions and that being on top doesn't mean you have to be mean or stuck-up. She's seems pretty mean and cruel now, but she's going to develop for the better.

P.S. 2.0: Here is a painting I did of what Nyx and Veronica look like art/Bare-Rivalry-505962185


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: For the First Time in Forever

The next day rolled in, and the family with Riku included got ready for the day. Riku and Nyx chatted it up during the flight to school, with Riku asking questions about her wolf powers and what other features she had. She showed him that she had a tail that matched her ears, then she would match Riku with questions about his friends and when they're coming and about his adventures. Once they got to school however, Nyx changed into her regular human form, saying that it was better to hide it for now.

"You gotta wean people on to things," she said. "People don't like sudden changes. It'll be our secret, and unfortunately Veronica's too." Sweat dropped on both of their faces.

As they made their way to their lockers people were staring a Nyx and whispering to one another about what happened yesterday. Nyx however, seemed unfazed by it and ignored everyone. The duo met up with friends briefly before going to first period. As first period goes by, Nyx and Veronica get called to the principal's office, each receiving in-school suspension for the day. Which meant they had to be in the same room, together… Luckily no craziness ensued and the day went by smoothly.

After the suspension Riku waited for Nyx to leave for the day. He waited by the room where they hold in-school suspensions and detention in the library. Veronica was the first to exit the room. She quickly passes Riku by, but not before giving him a quick look. Then Nyx came out, and she and Riku left for the day.

Riku manned the Gummi Ship, but instead of going home he took another route. Nyx instantly noticed and gave Riku a questioning look. He only replied with a smirk, and she left it at that. Where they ended up disembarking on was a barren wasteland of a world littered with thousands of Keyblades. Nyx was amazed as soon as she got off the ship, her eyes wandering to all the abandoned Keys.

"I knew that this existed, but this is incredible," Nyx says. "I haven't really left Twilight Town much, so this is a first." The duo walked around for a bit.

Riku starts, "This is my first time actually coming here. King Mickey told me a lot about this place. A lot went down here, even well after this war. We were about five when these things happened. " Riku pauses for a moment, then calls forth his Keyblade Way to the Dawn. Nyx eyes his weapon with curiosity. "Because of the history here, this place has a naturally high energy reading. It wasn't too hard to track. And it's a suitable training ground for people with high energy readings."

Nyx crosses her arms. "So you brought me here to watch you train under the radar?"

Riku gives her a knowing smirk. "No, I brought you here to train **you. **Your mom asked me to train you." At this, Riku gets into a fighting stance. "Now get your weapon ready."

A/N: The title, I couldn't help it. I had to.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Dive Deep

At the promise of training for the first time in years, Nyx is extremely excited. But the excitement was short lived as Nyx realized she didn't have a weapon. "Uh Riku," she started, "I don't believe I have a weapon of choice."

"Oh," Riku lowers his blade while scratching his head. "Well maybe we can start with your lycan mode. Try changing now." Nyx complies and changes into her lycan form, gaining her wolf ears and bushy tail. "Okay, now I want you to dive into your heart. Close your eyes and focus on your heart."

Nyx obeys and closes her eyes. At first, all she could see was darkness, but as she focused on her heart, she started to fall backwards until she was diving headfirst into nothing. Then, two pedestals with stained glass tops intertwined together came into her vision. As Nyx came closer, her descent slowed, and she landed on her feet in the middle of the intertwined platforms. One side was a deep dark purple, to deep to make out the images on the stained glass other than a dark portrayal of herself. On the other side, was a light gold theme, decorated with a moon motif and an art nouveau halo around her figure depicted in a pure and light way. In the smaller circles depicted of places and people close to her heart, with some circles too bright to see what they were. Then Riku landed beside her and took a look around.

"You have two hearts," Riku asked.

"Because lycans are a fusion between human and beast, it is not uncommon to have to hearts," Nyx replies.

"Hn," Riku grunts, noticing some places were too light or dark to see certain images. 'She's hiding something from me,' Riku thought. " Okay, to get your weapon, first you must choose what strength you wish to focus on and which strength you wish to let go of." Suddenly, six pedestals appeared from the ground in bright lights. Three were on the light side, and three were in the dark side. On the pedestals in the light side, there was a sword, a shield, and a wand. On the other side, the pedestals glowed with a deep purple-magenta light. However, there seemed to be an invisible force blocking the way to the dark side.

Riku notes this and starts, "It seems we can't get to the dark side, so let's start with the light side. The dream sword symbolizes the power of the warrior and invincible courage. The dream wand symbolizes the power of the mystic and inner strength. Finally, the dream shield symbolizes the power of the guardian and the kindness to aid friends. Choose wisely, for the decisions made now will affect how you grow."

Nyx observes her choices before her. She takes a moment to think to herself. Then, she walks to the pedestal holding the dream shield. "I think I want the power to protect people, especially my friends." She grasps the shield and after a moment it dissipates into light.

Riku smiles inwardly at her choice, understanding why she chose the shield. "Okay," he says, " now that you've chosen what power you seek, which power are you willing to give up?"

Given this newfound information, Nyx becomes a bit hesitant. She looks at Riku. "Do I really have to give up one?" Riku simply nods with a snort and a smirk. She turns back to her remaining options and makes the decision in her head. Finally, with mind made up, she walks towards the sword and grabs the hilt. " I choose to give up the power of the warrior. Too much strength can lead to destruction and a lust for more power." With that the sword vaporized into light. Suddenly a light shines from within Nyx.

"Now call your weapon to you," Riku instructs. "Just focus on your heart and let it materialize in your hand." Nyx closes her eyes and holds her hand out in front of her. A bright purple and teal light formed inside the palm of her hand and grew into a long beam of light. Once it fully materialized, Nyx closed her hand over the new weapon. However, she refused to open her eyes.

Riku laughs a little. "You know you can look at your weapon. Or are you a scaredy-cat?"

The tease works. "Hey! I'm not a scaredy-cat…" She stops mid sentence to look at her weapon. It was a five-foot pole with beautiful teal engravings on it. On the upper part was a shimmering purple to teal sash that was about four feet long and hung down. "What's so special about a flag pole," Nyx asks after a while.

"We'll see, when you come at me."


End file.
